Storm Tide
by Gemini14
Summary: A mysterious man has been washed ashore and a mother and son are his unlikely saviors! What will happen when he learns about their secret? And how will he learn from it? RR Please!
1. Chapter One

Storm Tide

Chapter One

The waves crashed on the storm-ravaged beach as the shrouded form of a woman rushed back to her home. Beside her, a child struggled to keep up. He, too, was shrouded, features hidden from prying eyes. 

"Hurry along, now, Triton. We must get home before the storm's second wave comes." The woman said, as the child lagged behind.

"But Mother, there's something on the beach!" the child, Triton, said, as he pointed a finger at what looked to be a rumpled, sea-ravaged sail. 

"It's just some debris from a shipwreck, child. There are many this time of year." The mother said, in exasperation. 

"But Mother, it moved!" Triton objected.

"Now listen, this is no time to have a runaway imagination! We must get back before the storm strikes!" the mother said, becoming a little angry with her son. 

"I'll prove it to you! That thing moved! It's alive!" Triton shouted, as he rushed over to the thing.

"Triton! Wait!" the mother shouted, suddenly frantic. What if the sea washed her son away? Triton didn't hear his mother's shout, and if he had, he wouldn't have heeded. He was too wrapped up in finding out what the thing was. Right when he touched the 'tattered sail' a very human groan came from it and it shuddered away from his touch. Not wasting a single second, Triton struggled to move the heavy bundle further up the beach, away from the water that had brought it to their shore. When he'd pulled it as far as he could, he took out a small knife he'd been given on his tenth birthday and started cutting the ropes that were tangled around the bundle. 

"Triton! There's no time!" the mother shouted, trying to reason with her stubborn son. The boy ignored her, and continued cutting the ropes. By now, the wind had picked up and was whipping the boy's cloak around. 

"Triton!" the mother screamed, as lightning lit the sky.

"Mother! It's a man! And he's still alive! We've got to help him!" Triton shouted, as he removed the material covering the man's face and showed the woman.

"All right. Help me carry him back. We can't very well leave him here." the mother said, reluctantly. With that said, they carried the unconscious man back to their home, far from the deadly shore. 

When they got to their warm, dry cabin, the woman went about the business of getting the stranger into dry clothes. With many grunts, grumbles and blushes, the woman finally got the dry clothing onto the man.

"Mother, the soup is ready." Triton said, as he emerged from the room that served as the kitchen of the small dwelling. 

"All right. Let me get our guest situated first." The mother said, as she dragged the man over to a bed and laid him on it. Then, gently, she put a hand to his forehead and found that a high fever resided there.

"_Saltwater does that to chimeras. I should know._" The woman thought, as she looked at her own hands. 

"Mother, is the man going to be all right?" Triton asked, as he watched the stranger's shallow breathing.

"I hope so. This storm season has claimed so many lives already." The mother murmured, as she placed a damp cloth on the man's brow and stood up. There was nothing more she could do now except wait. 

"_He may not live. From what I can tell, his lungs don't sound good. I will have to go to Sairaag tomorrow and get some medicine for him. This is going to be a long night._" The woman thought, as she went into the other room and helped herself to a bowl of soup. 

Author's Note!

To avoid any confusion, this story is not related to 'Rain', 'Promises' or 'Confession'. 

Gemini 


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Zelgadis groaned as he started to come to. Searing pain tore at his throat as he breathed, and the heat from a fever burned away what strength he had left. His body also felt stiff and weighted down; almost as though an entire mountain had been dropped on him.

"Mother, I think he's waking up." a boyish voice said, from beside him.

"Wait just a moment, Triton. I'll be right there." a woman's voice responded, gently, before the woman herself came into view. Unfortunately, his vision was blurred, so he couldn't see the faces of his benefactors very well; but he could sense their kindness.

"_And, since they aren't treating me like a freak, it means they accept what I am. They probably would have left me to die, if they hadn't_..._And I wouldn't have blamed them._" Zelgadis thought, as he allowed the boy's mother to prop his head up slightly and spoon some warm broth into his mouth; closing his eyes and sighing in relief as the moisture hit the back of his throat, and eased the burning in it. After a few more sips of the liquid, the woman allowed him to lie back down; pulling a warm blanket up to his chin while she was at it.

"_I wish_..._I had the strength to thank them_..._for their help so far. I can only hope_..._that I won't be too much of a burden._" Zelgadis tiredly mused, as he allowed his exhausted mind to slip away once again; giving himself over to dreamless sleep.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"How's he doing now, Mother?" Triton asked, worriedly, as he watched her gently lay the sick chimera back down and tuck him in again.

"His lungs seem to be a little clearer than what they had been earlier...but they still worry me. Are you sure you can handle watching over him when I go to Sairaag in the morning?" the woman questioned; more than a little concerned about leaving her only child alone and defenseless, and with a desperately ill man to boot. Triton smiled and gave her a reassuring nod.

"You can count on me, Mother!" Triton stated, confidently; getting a soft chuckle from his mother as a response to that.

"All right. Just remember to keep moistening the compresses." the woman reminded, smiling when she got a salute from the child before her.

"Will do, Mother!" the boy replied; somehow remembering to keep his voice soft, even through his childish exuberance.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

It was late in the night, when the chimera's condition seemed to worsen. Woken from uneasy sleep by raspy breathing, the woman rushed to his side and found that his fever had risen again.

"A...Amelia...Must get...to Seiruun...to Amelia..." the man whispered, in his delirium.

"_Amelia? Seiruun? Is someone waiting for him in Seiruun?_" the woman wondered, as she started bathing the man's face and neck with a cold, wet cloth in an effort to bring the fever back down; feeling some alarm when she found that it wasn't working as well as she had hoped.

"_I may have to leave for Sairaag now_..._His fever's too high_..._he may not last till morning, at this rate_..." the woman thought, grimly.

"Mother? What's wrong?" Triton asked, as he drowsily sat up and looked at her; becoming more aware that something was very wrong, when he heard the man's painful-sounding breathing.

"Triton, I want you to listen to what I'm about to tell you. I'm going to Sairaag now. Can you watch over him for me, till I return?" the woman in turn asked, her expression grave as she said that. Triton gave her a slight, hesitant nod.

"Will the doctor come, so late at night?" Triton questioned, uncertainly.

"I hope he will..." the woman softly replied, as she stood, donned her traveling cloak, and prepared to step outside, "_If he doesn't, this man may not make it._"

"Be careful, Mother." Triton urged, a bit fearful about being left alone at night, yet trying to bury it deep within him.

"I will. Be brave for me." the woman gently said, as she reached out and ran a hand through her son's wiry hair; even through her worry for the sick man and the boy she was about to leave alone to tend to him, reminded of their shared curse. This got another nod from the boy, and even a thumb's up. And it was with those assurances that she hurried off into the night; hoping against hope that she could get to the city in time.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**After so long, I've finally got a second chapter for you, minna! (It may not be much, but it's the best I can do, for now, since writer's block is being a bit of a pain, yet again). Sorry to have kept you waiting, and I hope, if you have some suggestions for this story, that you'll let me know about them! Thanks for reading (and waiting!)**_

_**Gemini14**_


End file.
